Tech Giants Racing to Implement ChatGPT-like AI into Platforms

As the race for the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology heats up, major tech companies around the world are rolling out plans to integrate ChatGPT-like generative AI into their platforms and applications. YouTube is the latest to join the race, following announcements from other global tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, Meta, Snapchat, and Baidu.

Microsoft: Leading the Charge

Microsoft has taken the lead in implementing generative AI for consumers and has pledged to invest billions of dollars into OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The tech giant is aggressively testing the latest version of OpenAI's GPT-3 technology in a beefed-up Bing search engine, with plans to add the tool to the easily accessible Windows 11 taskbar. Microsoft is also planning to add GPT-3 to its Office suite, including Word, and the Edge browser.

Google: Feeling the Pressure

Feeling the pressure from Microsoft, Google has unveiled Bard, a ChatGPT-like conversation robot that is powered by its own large language model called LaMDA. Google is working on a smaller-scale version of LaMDA to facilitate testing and "make sure Bard's responses meet a high bar for quality" in a veiled dig at Microsoft's more aggressive push. AI-powered features would soon be rolled out in Google's world-dominating search engine.

Meta: Cautiously Approaching AI

Meta, the company behind Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has taken a more cautious approach to ChatGPT-style AI. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on February 27 that the company was creating a product group to "turbocharge" the company's work, but cautioned that there was a lot of "foundational" work to do. Meta also announced LLaMA, a large language model that would be made available to researchers as an open-source tool, unlike ChatGPT, whose technology is secret.

Snapchat: Targeting Young Audiences

Snapchat, popular with teens, will introduce a chatbot powered by the most up-to-date version of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Initially available only to subscribers, the "MyAI" tab will allow users to interact with a chatbot as if it were a friend. However, the chatbot will be far more restricted than ChatGPT, with requests to write school essays or churn out inappropriate content tightly controlled.

Baidu: China's Search Giant

Baidu, China's internet search giant, plans to release its own ChatGPT rival Ernie Bot as early as March. Ernie Bot aims to be used in an array of services from search and cloud computing to autonomous driving. Following Baidu's announcement, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said that it was also testing a ChatGPT-like service through its research institute.

Musk: Mulling a Conversational Bot

Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter, is reported to be considering a conversational bot that would do away with filters on ChatGPT that he says are too politically correct. According to the news website The Information, Musk has approached researchers in recent weeks about forming a new research lab that would rival OpenAI, a company where he was an early investor before selling out.

As tech companies around the world continue to race to develop the most advanced AI technology, the implementation of ChatGPT-like generative AI into platforms and applications is becoming increasingly common. With Microsoft taking the lead and other giants such as Google, Meta, Snapchat, Baidu, and even Elon Musk following suit, it is clear that the future of AI is upon us.